An owl that likes to land on people’s heads has rocketed a small Dutch town to fame. Menno Shaefer, a 48-year-old from Zaandam, Netherlands, managed to document this friendly 6lb (2.7kg) European Eagle Owl as it tried to roost on the heads of onlookers in Noordeinde town. There, it sat for up to a minute before looking for another resting spot.
While seeing wild animals interacting with humans is a very common sight, when is comes to a majestic owl the first thing to expect is to be friendly. But this European Eagle owl feels more than comfortable in the presence of people. In fact, the 6lb bird loves to land on…people's heads.
When hearing about the owl's strange routine, Menno Shaefer, a 48-year-old photographer from Zaandam, Netherlands decided to pay it a visit as he wanted to convince himself about its behavior. "'I had heard a lot about the owl and decided to visit the site to see it in action for myself," Shaefer said. "It was a very funny thing to watch."
Just as the locals in Noordeinde town, the photographer did not find an explanation for the owl's unlikely actions, but in the end he as everyone else, enjoyed the massive bird's company. "Whilst photographing the owl, it did try to land one my head once," Shaefer told to NL Times. "However I'm just as confused as anyone as to why it does this."
The residents, on the other hand are happy to see their place attracts sights, because of the owl. "Our village is finally on the map," a resident said. "I have seen photographers and birders from around the country, from The Hague to Spijkenisse, they come from everywhere to see the eagle owl." You can watch video below: